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Malibu is a pig who loves to paint, and his dream is to have his paintings displayed in an art gallery one day. He has many art pieces, but on this day, he is making a painting about a giraffe and a mouse. He is very proud of his painting and cannot wait to show his dad when he gets back from work. Malibu waits patiently, and soon it is time to reveal his art piece to his father. His father is so proud; he takes a photo of Malibu with his painting and posts it to his social media account. A few days later, Malibu gets the call of a lifetime. An art gallery would like him to show his artwork at the Roads to Constructiveness annual gala event. When Malibu arrives, he is very nervous. However, once he starts to show his art, he realizes how much the audience likes his paintings. Thus, begins Malibu’s dream of becoming a world-renowned painter.
Hoed has created an engaging, intriguing children’s story that expresses the goal of following your dreams no matter what gets in the way. For example, the author describes how Malibu’s mom thinks his paintings make a mess—although his mother does support his dreams. She also shows how Malibu’s little sister is critical of all his work, saying it looks thrown together. However, Hoed illustrates how Malibu pushes through to follow his dreams and continues to pursue his painting, teaching young readers to go after their dreams also. Hoed has composed a great age-appropriate lesson to her readers about never giving up. She has fostered a fun-loving, heartwarming main character that children will identify with and love.